Hope to get some input from anybody for the left rear wheel on my *86 Suburban, K-car, 4 wheel automatic. 6.2L, J engine.
Raising the four wheels one by one, I can turn them by hand in both directions with the shifter in neutral, except left rear, I can turn it backwards with difficulty. Forward no way. The adjusting screw assembly is frozen solid on that wheel, no help there. I did treat it liberally with WD-40, to no avail so far. I tried to drive it, very gingerly, it did move 6" backwards. forward no go.
The lug nuts come off fine, however, the wheel is stuck on the hub.
How can I proceed without damaging anything too much?
Has anybody in the community have to face this before?
Is there a tool specific for this problem?

I hope someone can provide some insight.

Hendrik

Thank you very much.

I take it this truck has been sitting around for a while?

Sounds like you've got a stuck brake (stating the obvious I know). I've seen it a lot on older trucks that haven't moved in a while.

A lot of times I see that happen when the parking brake gets applied when the cable is rusty and stuck. If that is the case you can sometimes grip the cable housing outside of the backing plate tightly with a pair of vise grips and pound on the vise grips with a hammer. Sometimes you will be able to get the cable free that way.

If it's not the cable... First things first, getting the wheel off. If I have that happen I usually put the truck on jack stand with the lug nuts removed. Then I give the top and bottom of the wheel a good hard kick (put some weight into it). First kick the bottom and then if it doesn't come loose try the top. Should come loose.

Then of course the drum will be stuck on there... Sometimes they come off with careful application of a hammer. Other times it might take a little heat. Usually it will come apart one way or another, it will just take some work.

I personally might try and drive it backwards a little bit before I messed with it too much. Might free up a little if it's full of rust and stuff. Since the self adjuster is stuck (hate when that happens - people really ought to put some grease on those every now and then so guys like you and me can get the drums off later ):h) you don't have to worry about it tightening up on you... Just be gentle with it because it gets rough on the tranny. Just try and get it to move a few feet - that fact that you can turn the wheel by hand at all tells me it isn't stuck that bad.

There could be a small access port on the back side of the wheel assembly that you could take a screwdriver to back off the self adjuster. Might take some time and patience, but that might be easier than taking a torch to it or beating it with a hammer, though not as much fun.

Thx High Sierra 2500 and blazerswamper. a 2 x 4 between the tire and the pavement and a good kick got the wheel off. A piece of wood with a 2-pounder going around the rim of the drum did the job. I was too cautious.

Next is replacing the rusted guts, shoes and drums look good.

High Sierra: indeed it has sat in the driveway for over a year and a half, I hope to drive it tomorrow or the day after. This is the last hang-up. literally!

Thanks again for the point in the right direction, the only one available in retrospect.